Thinking about a fall 2013 trip to Ft. Pierre National Grasslands, any tips/thoughts?

519vx

519vx

Member
Ok, so I've been thinking about doing it for a while. I've never hunted anywhere around there and this would be a 10+ hour drive for me, but I'm interested in what I've seen and heard so far. Even the opportunity to potentially harvest pheasants, sharptail grouse, and prairie chickens from the same general area is appealing.

Now I know this will make things a little more difficult, but I'm planning to hunt just by myself, and I've got a flusher for a dog. For a flusher, her stamina is pretty good. I'm looking to go toward the end of October and will probably hunt Thursday afternoon to a Sunday morning.

So, what tips or suggestions would you offer to me to help make the trip more enjoyable and more successful? I'm frankly (and unfortunately) used to having to seeing very few birds on a given hunt, so I don't have lofty expectations about seeing lots of birds each day. Thanks a bunch for any thoughts.
 
Agreed. We saw plenty of birds, but they were wild as apparently not much in the way of a hatch ie young dumber birds. Got three or four points in as many hrs of hunting, but birds busted out of range. If you come in late Oct., the pheasants will be legal too.
 
I believe I would invest in a county map - Lyman or Jones. Lyman has 2/3 of the Grasslands in the N.W, corner.

You can obtain a county map from: countywidedirectories.com.

As was suggested earlier, investigate the annual road count that's published in late August. Also, contact the local SDG&F and discuss you hunting plan with them.

Good Luck!
 
519, You have a good attitude, with that attitude You can go out there, work hard and no doubt get chances at birds. best of luck.:thumbsup:
 
the best information source for FPNGL

Contact the Carol the Ranger Lady at the FPNG Office in Ft. Pierre. She is a bird hunter ( English Setter) and will take all the time you need to answer your question. We used her as an initial source for our 1st rip out that way 3 years ago and always make a point to stop and visit. They susually have some "free stuff" guide, phamplets, etc that are good references. Its nice to get something for your tax money. The do sell a great map of the grass land that is a good resource also.
The Walk-in land associated ahd dropped by probably 50% in the past couple of year. As prtty and neat as the grass lands look, if there isn't a food source and water nearby, forget it. Lots of walking with little rewards.
 
Hunted there quite a few times back in the 80's when I could walk all day--gotten to old to do that even though every year I just have to try--LOL. If the weather comes around there could be some great hunting--just bring your BEST WALKING boots--oh ya and have fun.
FOR GROUSE
Hot days hunt the draw bottoms perferably with woody cover--they like the shade and on normal days hunt the military ridge tops--did I mention WALK WALK WALK
Oh and bring a fishng rod--if all else fails you can fish the tail race of Ohae dam for walleyes --Late night is best:cheers:
 
carpfisher and SDJim - thank you for your thoughts and suggestions! You and the others that have posted are really helping me to do my homework, and I appreciate it!

Some of the information may seem "common sense", but it is all good and useful info to me. Unfortunately here in my little corner of the world in Wisconsin, nearly all our pheasant hunting is put and take on State lands or just going to hunt clubs. While some of the birds on the PHG get smart after getting pushed around or poked at, our habitat is good and we have had plenty of precipitation (we had probably an inch of rain yesterday that turned to snow last night) so we haven't had the drought/cover issues that you have further west.

As such, little things (again that maybe seem simple to you) like looking for cover that is near both water and a food source are gems of "information gold" for me as I look to eliminate areas or entire sections of land to hunt once out there.

I don't mind the long walks and working for every flush...around here, unfortunately it's the norm even on PHG for anyone that expects any level of regular success. Don't ever take for granted how fortunate you are to live in and around areas that offer you opportunities to get out and hunt wild birds. When I was a kid growing up here 30 years ago, I remember riding the school bus over a set of railroad tracks and always looking down along the side of the tracks at the wild pheasants there. Sometimes I saw 10 or 15 wild birds at a time and I still remember just how cool it was just to even see them (couldn't hunt them there). Sadly, that area now is condominiums and a wild bird in southeast wisconsin is down right rare and something you call your buddys and tell them about if you see one.

Anyway, thanks again for the info, suggestions, and tips. :thumbsup:
 
i have never hunted the FPNG B4 but i do hunt prairie grouse often & like them better then pheasants to hunt as they dont RUN RUN RUN to be honest bird numbers were not down as i talked to 2-3 wildlife biologist in SD & for the FPNG there bird numbers were fine/stable... as for the post that say the birds were old & smart & flushing out of range thats normal for a mid to late season prairie grouse hunt after the birds have been educated a few times by other hunters & learn to fly once 1 bird flushes they all flush wild & just fly miles away...

prairie grouse use there eyes more then any other upland game bird besides maybe turkeys but prairie grouse live in the PRAIRIE & use it to there advantage they love prairie grasses that are just tall enough for them to stand in & not really stick out & or they can just squat down & be hidden just the same... NUT or KNEE high prairie grass on a SHORT guy SHINE high prairie grass on a TALL guy is about perfect prairie grass height...


if you want prairie grouse that hold well you are going to have to go in the early season hot weather... you will be hunting mostly young birds then that have not learned the all fly at once thing... if u flush birds be ready as there is always a stragler that holds to long & leaves a EZ shot for you...

you can find prairie grouse in just prairie grass eating grass hoppers & bugs but that will lead to endless walking prairie grass the crops will help you narrow down the search PRAIRIE CHICKENS love sunflowers its like candy to them im sure sharptail grouse eat them also but they are the prairie grouse that u will find loafing in the more woody cover PRAIRIE CHICKENS do not like woody cover sharptails tend to stick to the higher hills or crest of hills prairie chickens will be down out of the winds... find the write height prairie grass near food sources like picked sunflower fields soy bean & corn fields & wheat works also... like any upland game bird they are edge type creatures they like to be in close proximity to food cover & loafing areas...

prairie grouse also make a living on eating grass hoppers so if you find alot of them in good prairie grouse habitat or near wear you see birds go down then hunt it as thats what they are eating & if there is lots of grass hoppers around the birds will not be in & around the waste grain & sunflower fields they will be out in the prairie grass picking hoppers they also east buffalo berries & wild rose hips/buds early in the season or on un seasonably warm days if still available later in season...

they also pick grit but find it damn near everyplace in the prairies ive hunted as you can see your shoes when walking & thus are able to see dirt/grit when walking the prairies...

i read this many times to avoid any type of tall trees as they are avian predator perches but i have seen family groups of prairie chickens land in trees more then once & ive busted them out of tall trees so??? i have also watched prairie grouse land with in 100 yrds of a thick wooded wind break???
they habitat they were landing in was perfect for them besides the tall trees so i think the great habitat rules the roost??? but watch to many trees they are a prairie bird...

i advise you to get up real early & watch the prairie grasses near the food sources in your area & you should be good as you will see prairie grouse if they are in your area flying around like waterfowl... real early & they also look like waterfowl when glide/flying like they do they wont circle like ducks but they land in fields like waterfowl dose... prairie grouse are creatures of habit & almost have a field/place in mind once they flush or are in the air keep that in mind & use it against them...

you very rarely will kick up a mixed flock of chickens & grouse but they do live in same habitat out on the FPNG & they do cross & make HYBRIDS so u never know??? but if you want to kick up pheasants grouse & chickens on same walk good luck man as pheasants dont hang in the same habitat as prairie grouse do...

hit thick cover with water available food & you will find pheasants but not all in close proximity to prairie grouse... you have to pick out the species & type of cover you want to hunt & then go after that species ETC...

it would go like this get up at butt crack of dawn watch the prairies & its food sources for prairie grouse flying into eat... many lazy or smart hunters pass shoot prairie grouse as they go from roost cover to feeding area as they are creatures of habit like i said B4 they will also leave the feeding area for loafing/afternoon areas if you can just wait... go after the prairie grouse till 11:00-12:00 pheasant start time then hunt pheasant cover till your happy... prairie grouse will also reverse there food to cover flight if left alone & undisturbed at sundown so??? i would hunt prairie grouse most the day & hunt pheasants the last few hours of the day... if i was out in the prairies & herd or seen pheasants & it was past 11:00-12:00 i would chase them for awhile...

once you bust a flock or flush a flock breakdown the area & habitat & try to figure out why the birds were they & then try to find more cover that looks exactly the same why...

that would be my routine to kill prairie grouse & pheasants on the same trip... as thats what i do here in MN & have success on both prairie grouse & pheasant wear the 2 species are in close proximity to one another...

good luck hope this all helps you...
 
Honestly if you can't kill at least a few wild birds in southern Wi throughout the fall when you live here all year you probably aren't going to go out on public land you're not familiar with and have great success.
 
Small munsterlander owner...wow and thank you. :thumbsup::thumbsup:

Wisturkeyhunter - thanks for the words of encouragement. :(

I don't have access to any even marginal private land in southern Wisconsin to hunt. And if I did and/or was doing okay on wild birds here, I probably wouldn't have a big desire to plan a trip to travel 600+ miles to try to shoot some more.

A big part of what make websites like this one so good is the willingness of many people who truly want to help out and part of what makes for a good trip (for me anyway) is the researching, learning, and planning that goes into it. I never said I needed to take a 3 bird limit with 25" tailfeathers every day I am there in order to make it a successful or fun trip. I've taken a lot of pheasants in the years I've hunted them, but only a just a very few of them do I individually remember well. I am however, pretty sure that if I even got just one rooster on a trip to South Dakota, that it will be a bird that I'd remember and be able to talk all about for a long time.

Thanks again to those here that have helped.
 
I could go to some places close to home and get a rooster or two.
Still, :) I'm going to put on about 7,000 miles on 5-6 trips to Montana in 2013.:cheers:
 
same here guys i can hunt MN & WI turkeys damn near all season WI that is as MN it only one 5 day hunt period at best 5 days is not enough!!! WI i could hunt damn near all of may but i also love planing out of state trips to new areas doing research & talking to local biologist ETC. & then pick n a spot on the map & hunting it hard... once i hear that 1st gobble or see the 1st turkey on the public lands i chose to hunt all the weight is lifted off my shoulders & i know my research & planing all payed off if i harvest a gobbler that is the icing on the cake!!!

got turkey trips planed for OK then to KS then to SD all back to back to back 10-11 days strait then we head home & 4-5 days later our MN season starts then over to WI then on to maybe NE or WY???

love planing all the trips out & wear i will be when & marking the days on the calender & then all there is to do is wait!!! thats what im doing now waiting waiting & waiting some more!!! lol its the worst part of it all!!!
 
My point is if you're not getting birds here in Wisconsin you're not hunting as hard as you could be not just during the season but throughout the year scouting and looking up new places.

If you're not hunting hard enough in Wisconsin when you have all year to find birds you're probably not going to have the desire to hunt hard enough out west when you have but a few days to find the birds without somebody local to help out.

Not saying you won't kill a few birds and maybe that is good enough for you but don't expect to go there and fill up your tailgate like a lot of guys on the internet. It's not easy...

I'm not trying to sound like a Dick just telling it how it is. If there was more wild bird spots in Wi,I'd take you out in the fall and no doubt get you on some birds but by mid December my wild bird spots (public land) were so over run with hunters I can't really take you to them.
 
wisturkeyhunter said:
My point is if you're not getting birds here in Wisconsin you're not hunting as hard as you could be not just during the season but throughout the year scouting and looking up new places.

If you're not hunting hard enough in Wisconsin when you have all year to find birds you're probably not going to have the desire to hunt hard enough out west when you have but a few days to find the birds without somebody local to help out.

Not saying you won't kill a few birds and maybe that is good enough for you but don't expect to go there and fill up your tailgate like a lot of guys on the internet. It's not easy...

I'm not trying to sound like a Dick just telling it how it is. If there was more wild bird spots in Wi,I'd take you out in the fall and no doubt get you on some birds but by mid December my wild bird spots (public land) were so over run with hunters I can't really take you to them.
Click to expand...

Wisturkeyhunter - you and I don't know each other, so with all due respect, don't tell me how hard I do hunt or how hard I'm going to hunt on a trip to the Dakotas. What do you care anyway? If I choose to hunt for an hour one day out there but really enjoy the day, why does that matter to you? I simply asked for some help to put some odds in my favor, and several guys here have really come through. My free time is very limited...and I don't have the luxury of being able to spend lots of time and money to go scout public land in my area that holds a huntable population of wild birds. I've done that in the areas relatively close to home with very very little success.

Maybe your a better hunter and researcher than I am. Maybe, probably, your dog/s are better than mine. That's okay. I do pretty good (in my book anyway) pheasant hunting where and when I can around here. Even though for me it is just public hunting grounds, and even though they are just stocked birds, and even though I'll miss one now and then, and even though my dogs aren't the best robot like field champions, I love to pheasant hunt and am just trying to plan a trip to somewhere I've never been to experience something new, so I reached out for some help.

That's it...though after reading a couple of downer posts from you, there will be some personal pleasure in hopefully being able to post a picture or two on this website this fall of me with a Dakota bird or two.
 
wisturkeyhunter you are sounding very dickish even if you were not trying to... WI has a very poor pheasant population many on-line will agree not that there is no pheasants but we here in MN have more pheasants then you do & many many MN hunters travel to SD each season to hunt good/great populations of pheasant there is no comparison to WI & SD none at all except the birds are both pheasant...

you maid your point in your 1st comment no need to keep beating the dead horse & telling a guy that if he cant kill a WI pheasant then he wont be able to kill some SD pheasants... you could of went about it a hole other way & not sounded like well a dick...

519 said he wants a mixed bag hunt & to try SD for the 1st time i would suggest that you try to get out to SD close to opener as if you go late season the armys of orange clad hunters will have beat the land to death so i think thats what wisturkeyhunter was talking about it not being EZ i cant drag my-self to SD due to all the hunters & the cut throat hunting mentality all the other out of state hunters have while hunting SD not to mention the hole PAY TO PLAY thing blows... 519 you may want to book a day or 2 on private lands if you really want to show the nay sayers some birds on-line???

best of luck to you 519 hope you knock a bunch down out there also...
 
There is really something COOL about those that take in the whole trip. Enjoy the outing, the total adventure.
Piling up game on the tailgate should NEVER be the goal.

519, Good for You!:thumbsup:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top